


Another Side

by Lyledebeast



Series: Another Side [1]
Category: Robin Hood (BBC 2006)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Begging, Estranged Marriage, F/M, Light Bondage, Marriage of Convenience, Masturbation, Mentions of Guy/Allan, Mentions of Marian/robin, Resolved Sexual Tension, Sharing a Bed, Teasing, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-07 11:44:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5455346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyledebeast/pseuds/Lyledebeast
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the Sheriff's whim, Guy and Marian are forced to share a bed for three nights while attending his birthday feast.  During this time, they both do a lot of thinking and discover some surprising things about themselves and each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Night

**Author's Note:**

> This is set around season 2, but diverges from canon in several important ways. First, the marriage between Guy and Marian at the end of season 1 actually happened, but Robin encouraged Marian to go through with it. He believed he could use his influence with King Richard to get it annulled for non consummation. Since Marian did not humiliate Guy at the altar, he did not retaliate by burning Knighton to the ground, and at time in which the fic is set, Marian has gone back to live with her father there. She has also confessed her love for Robin to Guy, and that revelation, for the purposes of this story, has replaced Marian's revelation that she is the Nightwatchman. So, by the time the story begins, she is with Robin, Guy has taken up with Allan a Dale at the castle, and they have no reason not to be honest with each other. What will come of all this honesty? A huge mess, that's what!
> 
> Rating will change in the third chapter.
> 
> All characters are property of the BBC and Tiger Aspect Productions. Unbeta'd, so all mistakes are mine.

Guy knew when heard the sound of whistling as he approached the Sheriff’s quarters that it would be an especially irksome meeting. As he pushed open the heavy door, Vaisey greeted him with a smile.

  
“Ah, Gisborne! And how are we this morning?” he piped cheerfully.

  
Guy frowned in silence, considering. Whenever the Sheriff asked how he was, it was always a sign that he would be worse off soon.

  
He decided to go with a simple, “Fine, my lord.”

  
“Oh, I am glad to hear that. Is everything in order for the start of my birthday feast tomorrow?”

  
“Yes, my lord.”

  
“Have you gotten my gift?”

  
Guy lowered his head and began to fidget with the clasps on his glove. He had little experience choosing gifts for anyone, but he could not imagine that anyone could be harder to choose for than his master. No matter how much trouble he went to or how much money he spent, it was never enough to earn more than a sneer.

  
Again, he decided a short answer would minimize the potential damage. “No, my lord.”

  
“Tsk tsk, Gisborne. And only day left. Well, you’re in luck. I know exactly what I want from you, and it won’t cost you anything.”

  
He gave Guy a broad, malevolent grin that suggested the cost would be quite high, if not monetary.

  
“And what might that be, my lord?”

  
“I would love for your wife to attend my feast.”

  
“My . . . Marian?” Guy blinked in confusion.

  
“That’s the one, Gizzy. Do you know, I’ve hardly seen your leper friend as was since you became man and wife? She was such a lovely ornament to have at the table when you were wooing her, and so entertaining.”

Guy swore inwardly and hoped it didn’t show on his face. That was why the Sheriff wanted Marian’s attendance: to humiliate him. No doubt the Sheriff had known of their estrangement almost as soon as it had happened. He supposed it made sense; being humiliated seemed to be the only thing he did that pleased the older man.

  
“I believe that can be arranged, my lord.”

  
“Splendid! Now, tell me what you have planned for security should Hood decide to invite himself again. After last year’s embarrassment, I hope you’ve at least prepared for that.”

  
* * *

  
As soon as the Sheriff dismissed him, Guy got on his bay horse and made his way to Knighton Hall where Marian had returned to live with her father on the pretext of his failing health. Vaisey had assured him that Sir Edward was well enough to be left alone for the three nights of the feast’s duration. In fact, he had sent his personal physician to visit him. Guy expected that Marian had seen through that as clearly as he did. Vaisey had no interest in his predecessor’s health; he merely wanted to confirm that Marian was no longer living at Locksley. Hopefully, he reasoned, that meant she would be a little less surprised to see him and to learn the reason for his visit.

  
He had not seen Marian in nearly three months himself, not since she had broken his heart by telling him that she was still in love with Robin. The memory of it still stung, even though he had tried to put it as far from his mind as possible. He had to admit, it did explain her behavior after their wedding better than anything else could. He had accepted her condition of not sleeping with him under the assumption that she would eventually change her mind. She didn’t know him well enough yet, he had believed, but if he could just make her feel how much he loved her, and how safe she was with him, eventually she would come to him of her own accord. What had actually happened was that she had grown more restless and irritable at his attentions. When he had tried to talk to her about it, her hostility had frightened him. At the time, he could not understand what he had done to offend her; she had always appeared to want to please him during his courtship. He had hoped to please her too, but she seemed to have grown to hate the sight of him.

  
After that, he had spent more and more time at the castle, whether the Sheriff had needed him or not. Fortunately, it was around the same time that Allan a Dale had arrived, insisting that Guy could make use of him until he had. In more ways than one. The thought of Allan made Guy smile a little. He hadn’t shared a bed with another man for more than a night in many years, but this one had come along just when he had most needed someone to want him. Perhaps Marian had good reason to tell him the truth after rumors began circulating that he was bedding his second in command, though he had found it ridiculous when she mentioned it at the time. A man could not bear him children to inherit his lands and name. And yet he was glad she had waited instead of telling him sooner after the wedding. Knowing that she had only been using him for the protection marriage offered had hurt terribly, but at least he was not left with nothing.

 

 As he stopped in front of the house, dismounted, and tied his horse, his anxiety began to rise again. What if Marian simply refused to attend? She had accepted his invitations before with what he now realized had probably been forced gratitude, but he did not know what to expect from her now.

He wasn’t surprised when she answered his knock at the door; for as long as he’d known her, Marian had been hesitant to allow a servant to do anything she could do herself. She took him in with a look of surprise mixed with skepticism, eyebrows raised and lips pressed firmly together.

  
“Sir Guy” she greeted him in an even tone. “Won’t you come in?”

  
He frowned at the formality. How long had it been since she last addressed him that way? He was sure it had been before the wedding. Though they had not gotten along well while she was living at Locksley, he had always been simply “Guy” then.

  
“Good day, Lady Marian,” he replied, trying to match his tone to hers as he stepped inside. For a minute they simply looked at each other. Guy had never been very good at making polite conversation; he was better suited to giving and following orders. He remembered how flustered and nervous he used to feel when paying Marian visits, but when he was courting her she had always helped to ease him through the awkward beginnings. How many things had changed since.

  
Apparently, her patience with him was one. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” she asked, her grim expression showing plainly that she took no pleasure in it at all. He decided to get this over with as quickly as possible.

  
“I’ve come at the Sheriff’s request to invite you to attend his birthday feast.”

  
“At the Sheriff’s request?” That seemed to surprise her.

  
“Yes. He said he especially wanted to see you.”

  
“What could the Sheriff possibly want with me?”

  
Guy had to bite back a sharp retort. What could the Sheriff want with her? Her head on a spike if he knew what Guy knew. What she had confessed to him could have resulted in both her and her father’s executions; one would think his silence deserved more gratitude than this cold welcome showed. He smirked down at her. If she didn’t feel she had to be courteous, neither did he.

  
“Well, he did say you were a lovely ornament.”

  
She glowered back. He had quickly learned there was nothing Marian hated more than being reduced to her beauty.

  
“I have more important things to do than decorate the Sheriff’s table. As you know, my father . . .”

  
“Yes, has been ill, but not ill enough to convince the Sheriff’s personal physician that you deserve a reprieve.”

  
Marian sighed and shook her head. “I knew I shouldn’t have let that man in.”

  
Guy smiled at her honesty, a warm affection spreading through him in spite of himself. Marian’s astuteness had always attracted him as much as her appearance, and he was pleased to have it confirmed once again. But he hid it quickly.

  
“Probably not, but it’s too late now. Can I trust you to be ready when I come for you tomorrow? Or will I have to track you down in the forest?”

  
Marian’s blush was the only proof he needed; jealousy took the place of the warmth he had felt before. She kept silent.

  
“How do you think it will look to the Sheriff if you refuse your husband’s invitation? He suspects you of enough treachery already.” It was the first time he had referenced their marriage since before agreeing to her move back to Knighton, and it had just the desired effect.

  
“I’ll be ready,” she said, looking up at him defiantly.

  
* * *

  
She was waiting with her trunk of clothes when Guy arrived the next day, but she was not any happier about the prospect of the days to come. She said goodbye to her father, but did not speak again until they arrived at the castle and she was forced to greet the lords and ladies who approached. Dinner was also uncomfortably tense, and the lack of any more than the most essential conversation between him and Marian seemed to be all the Sheriff had hoped for. Every once in a while, between conversations with lords seated nearby, Guy caught him watching them with a self-satisfied little smirk on his face.

  
He felt a powerful sense of relief once dinner was over and the awkwardness between him and Marian was no longer on display, but it was short-lived. As he ascended the stairs to go to his bedroom, he remembered that he would not be sharing it with Allan, as usual, but with Marian. The onslaught of feelings that brought on suddenly made him feel far tipsier than the Sheriff’s wine had. He almost wished he had taken Allan’s half-joking suggestion that he sleep between him and Marian seriously. Instead, Allan was back in the room he had occupied when he first moved into the castle, and he was going to sleep with Marian with nothing separating them but their nightclothes. “And as much space as Marian can put between us without falling off the other side of the bed,” he thought bitterly, trying to calm the stirrings of arousal in his belly. He realized now that there was one more thing he needed to get before turning in for the night.

  
* * *

  
When he opened the door to his room, he saw Marian perched nervously at the edge of his bed. He took note of the fact that she was still wearing the gown she had on at dinner, and the thought of the possible reason made him scowl.

  
“Are you expecting someone else, my lady?”

  
The silence accompanying the glare she directed at him reassured him that no one was coming. If she was expecting Robin, she would put effort into convincing him that he was completely safe.

  
“You’re still dressed,” he pointed out.

  
“As are you, Sir Guy.”

  
This time he didn’t bother to hide his grimace. “Let’s dispense with the formalities, Marian? This is certainly not a courtship. I think we’re well past that, don’t you?”

  
She looked down at the bedcovers, but nodded. “Even so, I hope you’ll have the courtesy to turn around so I can change for bed.” She glanced back up at him with a warning look in her eyes.

  
He sighed, “Of course,” and moved the chest at the foot of the bed to retrieve his own pants and shirt. He sat on the side of the bed across from Marian and looked back over his shoulder, seeing her still fixed to the spot.

  
“Alright, I’m turned around now,” he said, and faced the opposite wall. He heard the sound of layers of differently textured fabric rubbing against each other and thought of how long it had been since a woman had undressed in the same room with him. The women he had been with in recent years, mostly peasants, had not been wearing much more than himself to start with. He’d forgotten how long it took for a lady to get out of all those layers. Well, there was no reason why he shouldn’t use this time to get himself ready for bed. He undid his jacket and pulled it off, dropping it to the floor for the time being, then did the same with his undershirt. He bent forward to pull his boots off, loosened the laces at the front of his breeches and had just stood up and begun to pull them off when he realized he was making the only noise in the room. The rustling of Marian’s clothes had gone completely quiet. He froze as well.

  
“Marian? Are you finished?” he asked, not daring to look at her yet.

  
“Not quite, Guy,” she replied quickly, her voice a bit higher than it was before, as though she had been startled out of a daydream. Almost immediately, he heard the sound of more material falling to the floor and then the softer sound of light fabric sliding over skin. He took the opportunity to pull his leather pants off quickly and slip into the softer pants and shirt he slept in.

  
“I’m ready now,” she said, and he couldn’t contain his urge to look at her. As soon as he turned around, he realized his mistake. Her long hair, which had been up in an intricate coil during the afternoon and evening, was flowing freely over her shoulders and bare arms and her nightgown, though loose and dark, hinted at the full breasts it hid. He felt his chest tightening with want, and looked away as quickly as possible. How was he going to get through one night without doing something he would regret, let alone three? Then he looked down at the floor and spied the end of the rope he had hidden in his jacket. He picked it up and felt the mattress dip behind him as Marian sat on the bed.

  
“What are you going to do with that?” she asked warily, indicating the rope.

  
“Don’t worry. It’s not for you.”

  
She raised her eyebrows. “That doesn’t answer the question, Guy.”

  
He felt a blush warming his cheeks and looked away in embarrassment. “I’m going to bind my wrists together while we sleep so I won’t touch you by accident.”

  
“You what?” she cried, incredulous.

  
He ventured a glance at her and was almost amused by the look of complete confusion on her face.

  
“Marian,” he continued softly, “you might not believe it, but this is no easier for me than it is for you. The last thing I want is to be punched in the face or kneed in the bollocks, or both, because I rolled over and put my arm around you by accident while I slept.”

  
She thought about that for a couple of seconds, but gave him a little smile.

  
“That does sound like something I would do.”

  
“Yes, well. This will put a stop to that. Even if I try to get free it will be enough of a struggle to wake at least one of us.”

  
“How will you be able to sleep, though?” she asked, and he was touched by the concern in her voice.

  
“Don’t worry. Thanks to your outlaw lover I have no lack of experience ‘sleeping’ while tied up. You remember what happened after I announced our engagement.”

  
Marian scoffed. “The circumstances were a little different then, Guy.”

  
“Indeed. You wouldn’t like to knock me out would you? A sharp blow to the temple seems to work.”

  
She looked at him quizzically for a second before realizing that he was joking. Then she rolled her eyes and looked away, but he thought he saw he shoulder shake just a little as though she was struggling not to laugh.

  
“No, I don’t think I would.”

  
Guy smiled, pleased with himself, as he looped the rope around each wrist individually then tied them comfortably but firmly together. Once he felt Marian lie down on her side of the bed, he pulled the covers back on his side and leaned towards the bedside table to blow out his candle. When he lay back down, he realized there was no easy way for him to pull the covers back over himself, so he decided to leave them as they were. As he told Marian, he had been in a similar position before.

  
Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.

  
* * *

  
A few hours later, he realized his mistake. He might not be able to touch Marian, but that didn’t stop her from touching him. He had lain down facing away from her and woken up with her rear pressed against his lower back. That was distracting, but when he rolled over, as slowly as possible, so that his front was facing her back, it was even worse. He could hear her soft breathing and smell the delicate scent of her skin and hair. He realized that he had never been so close to her, and desire hit him so powerfully that it was all he could do to stop himself from pressing a kiss to her nape. And then she had pressed back against him again, this time pushing his bound hands against his groin. He rolled back over again as quickly as he could, this time not caring whether he woke her or not, but the damage had already done. Within a couple of minutes, he had an aching erection pressing against his thigh.

  
He tried to ignore it for as long as he could, but he could not keep his thoughts away from Marian and how maddening it was to be so close to her and not be able to touch her. Or have her touch him, his brain supplied unhelpfully, and his cock gave a little twitch. Clumsy in his haste, he pulled at the ropes that bound his wrists until he was free, then slipped a hand underneath his waistband and wrapped it around the taut flesh. It felt so good that he had to bite down on his bottom lip to keep from moaning. It was bad enough being tied up next to Marian; waking her up by jerking off in bed was an indignity beyond what he was willing to bear. He got up, making sure to keep his hold on the rope, pulled on his boots, and left with as much stealth as his desperation would allow.


	2. The Second Night

Vaisey’s dinners were even more tedious than she remembered from Guy’s early courtship of her, and she found herself yawning at regular intervals as she listened to the speculations of the nobles at the table about life under King John. “As though King Richard were already dead,” she thought to herself angrily. Yet she could barely even summon the energy for indignation. She glanced at Guy seated on her right and saw that he looked as exhausted as she felt; he had deep dark circles under his eyes and his eyelids were drooping. He caught her looking at him and straightened up with a little shake, blinking rapidly to wake himself up. “It serves you right,” she thought. “This is your own doing.”

  
Sleeping next to Guy had been a miserable experience, but not for the reasons she had feared. The self-imposed ropes binding his wrists had served to ease her worry that he would touch her as she slept, but she had not anticipated all the other activity on his side of the bed. She had surprised herself by falling asleep fast, no doubt from being so tense all day, only to be awakened in the middle of the night when Guy got out of the bed, with considerable struggle due to the way he had tied himself. Marian had remained quiet, reminded herself that there were more awkward ways to wake up with Guy, and gone back to sleep, only to be roused again when Guy came back to bed, hands still tied judging from his difficulty climbing back under the covers. After that, she had not been able to relax fully, and lay awake dreading the next day and wondering why she hadn’t taken Robin up on his offer to crash the feast and rescue her.

  
Of course, she recalled now that she had said no because it was completely unnecessary and not worth the risk just to get her out of a few evenings of unpleasant company. Robin had probably only offered to show his sympathy for her situation. She was at no real risk if Guy was right, and the Sheriff merely wanted to test her loyalty. Since she had told Guy about her relationship with Robin, and thereby lost his trust, she had lost her effectiveness as a spy. She might still pick up a useful piece of information from a stranger, but all of her best insights had come from him. When she was no longer trying to balance fending off his advances with encouraging his confidence, she wasn’t really sure what to do with him. She looked at him again, this time with more thoughtful consideration.

  
For weeks after she told him the truth, she had lived in fear that she would be arrested, but when nothing had happened, she had tried to rejoice in the fact that she was finally free from Gisborne, at least as free as she could be while still being married to him. And yet she found herself wondering about him. If he had loved her as much as he claimed, how could he simply let her disappear from his life? Why wasn’t he seeking revenge for her betrayal? No longer caught up in the momentum of trying to help Robin help the people of Nottingham and keep herself safe, she had to admit that was what it had been. While she had rejected and resisted him as long as she could, she had married him, and while she had told him she had no wish to consummate their marriage, she had never really told him why. She wondered if he had worked out the plan Robin had concocted to use his influence with King Richard to have her marriage to him annulled. Now it all seemed so callous. But really, Marian reasoned, it would be best for him too. It would allow him to marry a woman who could actually return his love.

  
She knit her brow in consternation; it still seemed a strange thought. When she had married Guy, she could never have imagined wishing such a fate on another woman. What had he ever done to deserve love? Now, more than half a year later, Marian could not summon up the ire she had once felt for the man Nottingham saw as her husband. Rather than treating her as another piece of property he had taken from Robin of Locksley, he had seemed to genuinely want to make her happy. It was impossible, of course. She could only be happy if she were free to follow her heart, and how could she do that within the confinement of marriage to a man she did not love? Still, she had to admit that the real problem had been the confinement itself more than the man. When she had expressed her wish to return to her father’s house, she could tell it had caused him pain, but he had said only “Do as you please.” No, the real obstacle was not that Guy could not be a good husband, but that she simply could not imagine him in love with any woman but herself.

  
Lost in these thoughts, she failed to notice the Sheriff watching her intently.

  
“You seem distracted, my lady. Is the conversation tiring you?” he asked with mock concern.

  
“My apologies, my lord. I did not sleep well last night.”

  
Vaisey smirked at that. “Clearly you aren’t the only one. Gisborne has been dozing this past hour. To tell the truth” he said, leaning towards her conspiratorially, “I’m waiting for him to pass out nose-first into his plate.”

  
Marian looked at Guy, who had clearly heard and was making an obvious effort to pretend he hadn’t, looking anywhere but at the two of them. He was clearly as out of practice coping with the Sheriff’s use of her to bait him as she was, and she felt a stab of empathy.

  
“Well, we kept each other awake last night,” she replied.

  
It was only when the smirk faded from Vaisey’s face that she realized the possible interpretation of her words. When her eyes went to Guy this time, he was staring right at her, eyebrows raised and his mouth slightly open. Marian hoped the Sheriff would not look in his direction, as his shocked expression would ruin the effect of her words.  
In fact, she told no more than the truth. She thought the unfamiliar sensation of lying next to a warm body he could not safely touch may have been what made Guy so restless. But when he gave her a little smile of gratitude once the Sheriff had turned his attention to the lord seated on his other side, she returned it. They might not be blissfully wedded, but there was no reason to give the Sheriff the satisfaction of knowing it.

  
* * *

  
That night, Marian arrived in Guy’s bedroom first and with time to change into her nightgown before he arrived. This gave her some time to consider the layout of the room and whether there was a place where she might be able to pass the night in some comfort while leaving him the bed. Unfortunately, apart from the rug on the stone floor, the room was rather austere: not a bit of furniture besides the bed, the small bedside table, and a small desk. In spite of the fact that Marian knew Guy spent most of his nights here, it didn’t really look lived in. She wondered if he had cleaned up for her; she was certain the bedclothes had been changed. With a stab of guilt, she thought of Allan. Where was he sleeping tonight? He had been so caustic when she had told him about her confession to Guy; that was what had convinced her that he truly cared for him. He was not simply tolerating him for Robin’s sake as she had. Or had she?

  
It was a troublesome question, and she was relieved when Guy chose that moment to enter the room. As soon as he saw her he averted his eyes.  
“I’ll just be a minute,” he said as he sat down on the bed as far from her as possible with his back turned. When she did not move, he gave her a pointed look over his shoulder, and she realized that he meant to change too.

  
“Shall I go outside?” she asked, realizing her mistake too late.

  
Guy gave a huff of impatience. “And how will that look to the guards? What will you tell them you’re doing out there?”

  
Marian’s embarrassment gave way to indignation and she snapped, “What did you tell them when you left in the middle of the night last night?”

  
Guy lowered his head and heaved a deep sigh. Then, to Marian’s bewilderment, he gave a dry little chuckle.

  
“The look I probably gave them, they wouldn’t have dared to ask me anything.”

  
She felt concern for him begin to stir again, this time mingled with curiosity.

  
“Were you angry? Is that why you left?”

  
“Not exactly.”

  
She rolled her eyes, grateful that his back was turned.

  
“Were you ill?”

  
“No. Well, not the way you mean.”

  
Marian found herself missing the blunt Guy of days past. He made her angry then, but she was quickly tiring of this guessing game. So she decided to ask the question to which she really wanted an answer.

  
“Did it have anything to do with me?”

  
Guy shot her a pleading look over his shoulder, but quickly turned around again.

  
“It had something to do with you, yes,” he replied softly. “But there’s nothing you can do about it.”

  
“Why can’t I do anything if it’s . . . “

  
“While I was lying next to you,” he cut her off, speaking quickly as though trying to get through an unpleasant task. “I got . . . uncomfortable. And I had to get up and take care of  . . . it.”

  
For a minute, Marian had no idea what he was talking about. What on earth did “uncomfortable” mean. She was sure she had made him uncomfortable before, but he had rarely had trouble talking about his feelings. But then, she thought of Robin and the new knowledge of men’s feelings she had gained during her nights with him in the forest. Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, “Do you mean hard?”

  
Marian felt a twinge of pity when Guy leaned forward further and covered his face with his hand, but it vanished when he laughed sharply. “Yes, that’s what I mean. I hope you’re not too shocked.”

  
Of course she wasn’t shocked, but she did wonder how many times she had had this effect on Guy before. When he had backed her into corners and attempted to kiss her? When she had put her hand on his shoulder or knee with the intention of calming or comforting, had it meant something completely different to him?

  
“No.”

  
He turned around and looked at her, his brows furrowed skeptically, but she could still see the traces of the blush that had no doubt colored his whole face when he made his admission. Then suddenly, a realization dawned on him and he smirked in his old, cruel way. “Of course, Hood. You know everything now, don’t you, my lady?”

  
She glowered at him, but felt the color rising in her face all the same. “This conversation is growing awkward. I don’t wish to continue this.”

  
Guy laughed again, but softer this time. As he turned his back on her again, she heard him mutter to himself, “Now she thinks it’s awkward.” Turning his head to the side again, but not looking at her directly, he said with resignation, “Then let’s just try to get some sleep and forget about it. Perhaps we can both pass a better night.”

  
“Don’t you still need to get undressed?” she asked as he leaned to blow out the candles.

  
He paused and looked down at himself, sighing again and shaking his head. Marian smiled sympathetically at his back. Was Guy really so out of sorts about what he’d told her that he’d forgotten the need to change?

 

“Face the wall until I’m finished,” he demanded, sternly, followed with a soft “please.”

  
As much as she disliked being ordered about, Marian obeyed. Further retorts wouldn't make this conversation better, for her or Guy. But as she heard the sound of his clasps clinking as he unbuckled them and removed his jacket and pants, then the rustle of fabric as he pulled on the softer pants and shirt that he slept in, she felt her pulse quickening as her curiosity piqued again. She almost wanted to turn around, just to show Guy he shouldn’t expect to be able to tell her what to do now any more than when they were living together.

  
“I’m surprised you let me forget this,” he said, startling her. She turned around and saw that he was holding the piece of rope he had used to bind his wrists together during the previous night. She reached out and took the end of it in her hand.

  
“Let me?” she asked, and his eyes widened. “It can’t be easy for you to tie yourself, Guy. If you would let me help you, we can both get to sleep sooner.”

  
He still looked uncertain, but he dropped the rope and slowly held his hands out to her. She made the loops around his wrists and tied them together as quickly as she could, but the close proximity to him was making her heart pound, and her hands were shaking slightly. When she accidentally brushed her fingers against the delicate skin on the inside of his wrist, he gave a little jump, and she knew it was affecting him in the same way.

  
“There,” she said, finishing the knot and looking up at him with a smile, determined to hide the rush of anxiety she had felt at touching him. “Is there anything else?” She thought she must have succeeded, because his gray-blue eyes were still full of confusion. “Just . . .” He trailed off and turned his face away, and for a minute Marian was worried about what he might say.

  
“Go on.”

  
“If I do have to get out of the bed, when I come back, if you’re awake, could you help me with the covers? It’s a bit difficult tied like this.” He glanced down at his wrists, then back at her.

  
An emotion Marian couldn’t quite place flooded her. It was such a simple request, and yet so difficult for him to make. “Has he always been like this?” she wondered to herself. “Before we were married, when I was worried that he would try to force himself on me, was he really this vulnerable and uncertain even then?”

  
“Of course,” she replied, and pulled back the covers on his side of the bed. She thought she could just see the trace of a smile before he turned to blow out the candles.

  
* * *

  
After Marian placed the covers over Guy, she lay down facing away from him on her side of the bed, but her thoughts would not allow her to find sleep quickly. She was very aware of Guy’s quiet breathing and the warmth radiating from his body behind her, but the feeling was entirely different from the annoyance she had felt the night before. She wondered if he were asleep yet. She still wondered how he could be comfortable confined in one position, in spite of what he had said about sleeping while tied.

  
All these thoughts about Guy troubled her; she was used to seeing him as risk, as someone who had to be worked around, who had his uses, but for a price she was never certain she was ready to pay. If she was honest with herself, she had always known about this gentler side of him, but if she was going to deceive him, it was easier to focus on his callous, ambitious side. His knowledge of her relationship with Robin should have made it easy for him to pick a side with regards to her, but if that had happened, the gentle side appeared to have won out. Somehow, it would have been easier if it had been the other way. If Guy had grown to hate her, she would not be lying next to him now, having these feelings she couldn’t understand.

  
To get her mind off of Guy, she turned her thoughts to Robin, wondering if he were worried about her. How did he sleep when she wasn’t there? With Robin, she always felt perfectly safe and content; even thinking about him was helping to relax her, and she stretched, rolling onto her other side, the one she slept on when she was with him, and immediately bumped into the firm wall of Guy’s back. She froze, but when he made no movement she breathed a sigh of relief. “Just keep still,” she told herself. “Think of Robin, but try not to move too much.”

  
It worked, and soon she was fast asleep, dreaming that she was with Robin in the woods. He was still asleep, but she had woken up full of longing to repeat the previous night’s pleasures. She looked down at the stretch of his neck above the collar of his shirt and felt an overwhelming urge to kiss and nip, to press her breasts against his back and drape her leg over his thigh. When she attempted to hold Robin this way when they were awake, he would tolerate it for a little while, but then roll over to face her, kissing her neck and pressing her onto her back, laughing at her eagerness, but insisting on being the one to touch her. She loved being with him, but sometimes she wished he would let her have a turn being in charge. The only time she could hold him at any length was when he was asleep, and she was going to take advantage of it now.

  
But when she wrapped her arms around him, she knew immediately that something was different. This body was far too big to be Robin’s. The shoulders she was pressing her face between were too broad, and the belly underneath her hand was too firm. Marian’s eyes opened and widened. This was definitely not Robin, and yet she had no desire to move. Even through their nightclothes, his warm back felt too good against her hardened nipples, and made her more aware of the heat swelling between her legs. Guy’s body shifted against her as he sighed deeply, and the friction made her cling to him more tightly.

  
“Marian, that’s not fair,” he murmured, but she could feel the thump of his heart quickening. She didn’t know what to do. If she let go of him, he would know for sure that she was awake, but if she held on?

  
Guy solved her predicament when he sighed again and sat up, pulling himself out of her arms with some difficulty. She could almost feel his gaze bearing down on her as he sat on the bed, so she remained as limp as possible. Soon the bed shifted again, and she heard the sound of him loosening the ties on his wrists and pulling on his boots. He left again, shutting the door softly behind him.


	3. The Third Night

Marian awoke the next morning to find that she had the bed to herself. In Guy’s absence, she had apparently moved into the warmth left on his side of the bed and remained there for the rest of the night. She realized she must have slept more deeply than the night before, because she didn’t remember him coming back to bed. She yawned and stretched, giving her brain time to catch up with the rest of her body. Then she remembered what happened; how she had awakened to find her arm wrapped around Guy and her head lying against his back, and how reluctant she had been to move. The recollection filled her with a mixture of guilt and, more inexplicably, a touch of excitement. Yes, she had been dreaming of Robin, but when she realized it was actually Guy she should have pulled away in revulsion and gotten as far away from him as possible. But she hadn’t. In fact, it had been Guy who pulled himself away from her. Of course, it had been a perfectly innocent touch on her part; she didn’t know she was doing it at the time. He had to know that. The trouble was, Guy’s body didn’t. He had confessed that just lying next to her had aroused him; no wonder he had positively fled when she actually touched him. What he had gone to do was unthinkable, Marian tried to convince herself. She succeeded only in feeding her unwanted feelings by imagining scenes that were not nearly as disgusting to her as they should be.

  
Obviously, she was accomplishing no good by continuing to lie in bed, so she sat up and swung her feet around over the edge. When she stepped off, though, her feet landed not the floor itself but a heap of blankets lying on it. A heap of blankets that grunted in pain.

  
“Guy?!” she gasped in surprised. “What are you doing on the floor?”

  
He sat up, letting the blanket fall around his hips, and ran a hand through his messy hair, stopping at his neck to rub it as though he had slept on it wrong. The motion raised the bottom hem of his black undershirt just enough to expose a narrow strip of white belly just above his waistband. Marian felt she could kick herself for how quickly her gaze fixed itself on that precise spot, but fortunately, Guy was too groggy to notice.

  
“Well, you seemed to want the whole bed to yourself last night, and who was I to stop you?” he replied, looking up at her accusingly.

  
Marian decided to plead ignorance. “What are you talking about?” she asked, and glared down at Guy with what she hoped was a look of righteous indignation.

  
He looked away, and a slight blush colored his face. Speaking quickly and not looking back at her, he relayed his memory of the previous night. Marian sighed with relief inwardly as he confirmed that he did believe she was asleep the entire time.

  
“So I thought sleeping on the floor would be easier that getting back in bed and waking you and . . . having you know that I was . . . you know.”

  
She did know, and she felt her face warming to match his. She hoped he would chalk it up to her feminine delicacy being offended again. Some women actually were offended by the suggestion of anything sexual, Marian supposed. Lucky them.

  
“I’m sorry you had to sleep on the floor, though,” she replied, trying to move to a less awkward subject as quickly as possible. “But I understand why you wouldn’t trust me.”  
A grave expression overtook Guy’s face, and he frowned deeply. “It’s not you that I don’t trust, Marian. It’s me. I know that you would never touch me of your own free will, but I . . .”

  
Marian found herself intently hoping he wouldn’t say what she believed he was thinking. His confessions of love had been heavily overlain with desire when he was courting her, but at that point she had felt protected by her deception. She had thought it was the deception alone that had given her power over him. He believed that, even if she could not admit to wanting him yet, there was no reason why she couldn’t eventually. But for him to admit that he still wanted her, knowing that he could never have her? She had no idea how to respond to that.

  
“We had better go down to breakfast before we’re missed,” she piped in hurriedly, and Guy gave her a look of gratitude.

  
“Yes, you’re right. I’ll just change quickly and leave you the room.”

  
“Oh no, no,” Marian insisted. “I don’t . . . I should go down first. I’ll explain to the Sheriff that we slept in and make some excuse. He seemed to believe what I told him yesterday.”

  
When Guy smiled, she knew he remembered what she had said about them “keeping each other up.” “If I have watch you undress again,” Marian thought, “I might consider making my lie true.” Fortunately, Guy agreed and left without another word, and Marian dressed herself as quickly as possible to block out further intrusive thoughts.

  
And yet throughout the day, her thoughts kept returning to Guy. These feelings she was having for him weren’t exactly new. She had always been aware that he was considered a very attractive man by the women of Nottingham, but at the time his appalling treatment of the villagers, his relationship with the Sheriff, and his hatred of Robin had outweighed his superficial attributes.

  
Then she had married him and gone to live with him, and discovered that all his talk about their being “another side” to him had been truer than she expected. He still did many things of which she disapproved, but he was far more considerate than she expected. If she let on that she liked something, he always made sure she had it in abundance. When she mentioned in the months after the wedding that she loved summer fruits, he always made sure to bring some every few days, and if he were too busy, he would send a servant, anxiously inquiring when he saw her next to make sure it had been delivered. While she heard that many husbands allowed their wives only a pittance for dresses, or complained loudly when they did give money for them, Guy could not be more different. He seemed eager to buy her things, and always wanted to know how she liked what she got, even when he had no part of her choice other than paying for it. Her pleasure meant a great deal to him. Even at the time, she had often considered that it was a luxury she would have to learn to live without when she and Robin were married. He only noticed when she had something new to tease her about it. Or criticize her for accepting it from Guy.

  
She had suspected that Guy showed so much interest and generosity because he was still hoping she would sleep with him, but she never did, and the gifts never stopped while she was living at Locksley. Getting things had never moved her in that direction anyway. What did was not something Guy had to pay for. When she saw him every day, and other parts of his life than his formal, fully leather-clad work persona, she began to see what the other women saw in him. The first time they had dinner at Locksley together, she found it hard not to stare at his hands as they moved from the various dishes on the table to his plate and his mouth. Not only had she never seen them before, since he always wore his gloves, she had never seen longer, whiter, smoother fingers, yet the breadth of his palms showed that they were powerful as well. It had not been just the lack of comfortable conversation topics that had made that first meal awkward.

  
The worst incident had been the evening when she had left her room later than usual and gone downstairs for a glass of wine to help her sleep and found Guy being fitted for new armor. He was naked from the waist up, which later struck her as rather unnecessary since he obviously wasn’t going to wear metal armor against his skin in battle. At the time, though, all she could think about was how defined the muscles in his chest and belly were, how smooth and soft his skin looked in the candlelight, and how warm it would feel under her hands. And then he had crossed the room to talk to her. She couldn’t remember what he had said, but could recall in vivid detail how exhilarating it had felt to be so close to all that bare skin. She felt her face warming even at the memory. After that, she made sure not to go to bed until she was certain she would stay there for the rest of the night.

She had seen Guy less than formally attired on other occasions, but never quite so naked again. Not until the first night of this feast when they had undressed together. She made the mistake of turning around as he was pulling off his shirt and could not manage to turn away again. The sight left her dumbstruck. She had only seen him from the front before, but his back was equally powerful and inviting. When he started to pull his pants off, her breath caught in her throat. Fortunately, that was the moment he noticed that she was no longer undressing and stopped. Thinking back, she knew she should have turned around from the beginning then, as Guy had asked her to do the next night, but the problem was that she had wanted to see him naked. What was worse was that she still did.

  
It was a conundrum. She was in love with Robin; how could she justify this desire for Guy? She had never wanted him, at least not like this, when she could have him. What had changed? She seemed to be asking herself that question about Guy a lot lately. More importantly, what was she going to do about it? This question occupied her mind all through the last day of feasting, and she finally came to a decision. The idea shocked her, so she was certain it would shock him as well, but as she hardly ever saw him now, his refusal would be truly be the worst thing that could happen. She only hoped her own conscience wouldn’t trouble her too much.

  
* * *

  
As Guy approached his bedroom, he was in a far better mood than he had been on the previous nights. While last night had been no less awkward than the first, he felt comforted by his conversations with Marian, particularly that morning. Rather than resenting him, she seemed to want to help him get through these unpleasant circumstances as much as he wanted to help her. For the first time since before their marriage, he felt that he knew where he stood with her, even though it was not where he wanted to be. He found himself wishing they could have been this honest with each other before; it certainly would have saved him a lot of pain, and probably her as well.  
He arrived to find Marian sitting on the bed already dressed in her nightgown as before, but this time after they exchanged greetings she turned to face the wall so he could change without being asked. Guy felt a sense of relief; perhaps tonight they could just fall asleep without having another embarrassing--for him at least—conversation.

  
The feeling was short lived; as soon as he had pulled on his nightclothes and told her she could turn around, she asked, “Guy, when Allan spends the night with you, how do you sleep?”

  
Guy felt his spine stiffen and he took a deep breath; there really was no way to answer this question without revealing more than he wanted to. He wasn’t ashamed of his relationship with Allan exactly, but he didn’t know how to discuss it with Marian.

  
“What makes you think Allan and I . . .?” he inquired falteringly.

  
“Guy, please. Hasn’t it been nice to tell each other the truth for once? Why end it now?”

  
He pressed his forehead against his palms. She was right, so he might as well get it over with. “I sleep like a dead man when Allan is with me.”

  
“Why do you think that is?”

  
“Dear God, this woman,” Guy groaned inwardly. Well, if honesty was what she wanted, he would oblige her.

  
He turned around and gave her his most malevolent smirk. “I suppose it’s because he and I tire each other out.”

  
Rather than being shocked, Marian surprised him by smiling back. “Exactly, you never have to get up in the middle of the night when you’re with him, do you?”

  
Guy felt his mouth go dry and his heartbeat quicken. Was she suggesting what he thought she was? Surely not.

  
“What are you talking about, Marian?”

  
She squared her shoulders and inhaled deeply, as though preparing herself for a difficult challenge. Guy felt his heart pounding in his chest, and was very grateful that he was sitting down. This was all making him a bit lightheaded.

  
“I’m going to try something to help you sleep, if you’ll let me.”

  
He was certain he was going to pass out. “You don’t mean . . . Marian?” he stammered. “You can’t be saying . . . you . . . You want me to bed you?”

  
“Oh no, no,” she cried, holding out her palm as if to stop him, though he made no movement towards her. “I didn’t mean that. No. I sleep well without that unless someone wakes me up. What I am suggesting is that I touch you.”

  
Guy opened his mouth to speak, to be a gentleman and refuse, but he couldn’t force the words out. Though his brain was muddled, he could feel heat pooling in his groin from the moment the word “touch” passed her lips, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to hide his enthusiasm from her for long. His cock, unfortunately, knew exactly how to respond to her suggestion.

When he could form words again, he muttered, “I’m surprised you trust me that much.”

  
She frowned at him thoughtfully, her eyes boring into his. “I don’t,” she said matter-of-factly. “Do you still have the rope you’ve been tying yourself with?”

  
Without thinking, Guy reached to the bedside table and picked up the rope, showing it to her.

  
“Good. Now, give it to me and lie down with your arms over your head.”

  
He obeyed, but he couldn’t stop the tremor that moved through his abdomen and down his legs. He passed it off as an excess of excitement—how long had he been wanting Marian to touch him like this?—but he couldn’t deny that he was nervous as well.

  
Marian seemed to sense it, and she put her hand on his shoulder, looking down at him with concern. “Are you sure you’re alright with this, Guy?”

  
He wanted to ask her the same thing. “But what if she changes her mind?” he thought. Not trusting himself to speak, he simply nodded.

  
Marian tied each wrist separately and looped the extra rope around the center post of the headboard so that his arms were extended over his head, but he had some freedom of movement.

  
“Now, try to pull free,” she commanded.

  
He pulled down against his bonds, and they held.

  
“Not too tight?” she asked, and she shook his head again.

  
Marian sat down on the bed next to him and lay her hands flat on his chest. Even that simple touch sent another tremor through him, but as she remained motionless, looking down at her hands as though not sure what to do with them, he felt his excitement turn to frustration. Why tie him up if that was all she was going to do? He arched his back, pressing his chest against her hands and hoping she would take the hint.

  
It seemed to work, because while she jerked her head up to look at him as though startled, she slid her hands down his belly to his waistband. Guy felt his cock, already at half mast, swell further and give a little twitch. Instead of moving back up over his shirt as he expected, she slipped her hands underneath it and pushed it up until it bunched underneath his armpits. She inhaled audibly at the sight of him, and the sound sent a rush of heat through his body. She rubbed her hands up and down his chest and belly, feeling the muscles and making Guy tremble again. On one pass, her little finger brushed against one of his nipples and sent a small jolt of pleasure down his spine. He writhed, pulling against the ropes, and let out a soft gasp. Marian apparently heard it, because she moved both hands to his chest and began brushing her thumbs across his nipples over and over.

  
Guy felt as though he was on fire. He was sweating heavily and his cock was so hard it was beginning to hurt. He could feel drops of precome soaking through the fabric of his pants and dripping down his shaft. He didn’t know how much longer he could stand it, but was afraid if he spoke up she would stop touching him altogether. That would hurt even more.

  
She finally stopped playing with his nipples and he drew a deep breath, releasing the lower lip he’d been biting to stop himself from moaning. She gave him only a moment’s respite before lowering her hands to lightly stroke his erection through the soft fabric. Guy bit his lip again, this time hard enough to draw blood. He pulled against the ropes in vain and bent his knees, pressing his feet flat against the bed. Marian smiled serenely down at him, but when she spoke her voice was thick with desire.

  
“You seem to want to get away, Guy. Aren’t you enjoying yourself.”

  
He hoped she wasn’t expecting a witty comeback, because he could barely form coherent thoughts. The only words he seemed able to coax forth were begging: “Please, Marian. Please touch me.”

  
“Touch you how? Like this?” She placed a finger just over the very center of his slit and pressed down through the damp fabric. That was when Guy snapped. He opened his mouth to let out a loud groan that ended with a sob and thrust his hips towards her. Marian took the opportunity to pull his pants down and finally wrap her hand around his throbbing shaft. Guy felt his bollocks draw up almost immediately and knew that he would not last much longer. He was aware that he was moaning loudly with each pass of her palm over his sensitive head as she jerked him, but he no longer cared. “Please don’t stop, don’t stop,” he chanted inside his head. He looked up at Marian to see that her cheeks were colored a deep pink and her eyes were wide with excitement, the blue irises almost wholly swallowed by her blown pupils. “She’s enjoying this,” he realized. That was enough. The tension coiling inside him finally broke and he came hard over his belly and Marian’s hand.

  
Fighting the exhaustion that threatened to overcome him, Guy glanced at Marian again to see that her expression had changed drastically. Her eyes were still dilated, but she was frowning down at her outstretched palm, which was still covered with his semen. When she caught Guy looking at her, she was unable to meet his gaze, and she wiped her hand on the lower sheet as though trying to hide the evidence of what she’d done from herself. Guy felt his heart sink even as he was still trembling slightly from the aftershocks of his orgasm. When she got up and stepped away from the bed, he almost panicked. “Don’t leave me like this, Marian!” he cried.

  
Without looking at him again, she rushed to his side and untied the rope from each wrist, throwing it on the floor as though disgusted by it. Guy sighed and pulled his undershirt the rest of the way off, using it to wipe away mess on his belly. Then he tugged his pants back up into place. When he looked at Marian again, she was sitting on the edge of the bed as far from him as she could get, looking down at her lap despondently.

  
“Marian, are you alright?” he asked as softly as he could.

  
When she looked up, he could see tears forming in her eyes. “Oh, Guy,” she said in a quavering voice, “I’ve made a terrible mistake.”

  
Guy sat heavily on his side of the bed facing away from her and buried his face in his hands. He felt like crying too. He knew he should have refused. If he had only been stronger, they could both be sleeping peacefully now. He should have realized that no good could come of letting her touch him. It never had: not when she encouraged him during their courtship or when she had let him put his ring on her finger. And yet for all they had been through, he still failed to make rational decisions where she was concerned. Suddenly, he wanted to be anywhere else. He got up and went to his trunk, pulling out a clean undershirt, and slipping it on. Then he picked up his jacket and put that on as well, doing up the clasps hurriedly.

  
“Guy, what are you doing?”

  
He turned to see her looking at him, concern written all over her face. He was grateful for that at least.

  
“I’m sorry, Marian.”

  
“Guy,” she pleaded, “this is not your fault. You didn’t do anything. You don’t have to leave.”

  
He pulled on his boots and turned to face her, resolved.

  
“Yes I do, Marian, I . . . I don’t know what to say to you.” He left as quickly as he could, hoping that he could still remember the way to Allan’s room, and that he was still awake.

  
* * *

  
Even with the bed entirely to herself, it took hours for Marian to fall asleep. She had never been more deeply ashamed of herself. For the first time, she felt she had betrayed Robin. He had put so much trust in her when encouraged her to accept Guy’s proposal, never dreaming that she would give into temptation. When he did have doubts, she could insist with complete sincerity that she had no feelings for Guy. Now should would never be able to do that again. After a lot of thought, she decided there was no reason for her to tell Robin what had happened. Nothing like this would ever happen between Guy and herself again; even if she wanted to, from the way he left she doubted Guy would agree to it. There was no reason to break Robin’s heart over her mistake.

  
Robin was not the only source of her guilt, though. She felt she had betrayed Guy as well. It was not the first time, but she felt it far more than in the past. Before, she believed she had to lie to Guy to protect other people, but then she had been honest. She had lost his trust, but she felt that she had done the right thing. But then he had given it back to her so willingly over the past three days. He had trusted her to treat him kindly, and she had let him down. What she had done had hurt him, however good it must have felt at the time.

  
Even through her guilt, she felt a stirring of excitement in her belly at the recollection. She knew that there was another side to Guy, but now she realized that there was another side to herself as well. She had loved the feel of his body pliant under her hands and the sounds she had coaxed forth from him. The control she had over such a large, powerful man had introduced her to a new kind of pleasure previously unknown, and she knew that, in spite of her heart’s inclinations, she would want it again.


End file.
